Pen Pals
by jollygreendragon
Summary: A chance meeting at an early age kicks off a lifelong friendship closer than most people will ever know in their entire lives. If only the distance between them wasn't so great... One-shot, mostly serious.


**Golden Sun belongs to Nintendo and Camelot, not me. Support them if you like the series! I just write fanstuff. And if you feel like borrowing any of my original ideas, please, go right ahead.**

* * *

><p>With a short trumpet fanfare, the doors of Belinsk's throne room swung open.<p>

"Presenting Lord Isaac of Vale, and his wife, Lady Jenna!"

Isaac and Jenna grinned slightly as the crier announced their entry. It had been 21 years since the Golden Sun, and they still had trouble getting used to hearing their names spoken with such reverence. Well, occasionally reverence, sometimes hostility... but Belinsk was most definitely pro-Warrior-of-Vale. And that was why, upon their arrival in town, they were invited with no notice for a personal audience with King Czamaral.

They hoped he wouldn't mind that they brought their son along.

"Don't worry, Matthew," Jenna said to her 8-year-old. "Just stick with me. We're going to go meet the king of the beastmen. Won't that be fun?"

Matthew glanced around the wide room in amazement. All of the decorations, all of the shiny objects... It must have overwhelmed him a little. He moved in closer to his mother and hid his face against her. She laughed, completely unsurprised at his shy reaction, but motioned for him to follow along.

At the other end of the room stood a relatively tall beastman – some mix of lupine or vulpine, by the looks of it – and a younger one, nearly identical, in his early teens. Both were dressed in regal finery, and both carried themselves with dignity and self-confidence. As Jenna's family approached, they were surprised to see the two men kneel.

"Isaac and Jenna," the older beastman said, "I am King Czamaral of Morgal. It is an honor to meet you."

Isaac and Jenna kneeled in return, and Matthew followed suit as soon as he realized what they were doing.

"It is not often that we are graced with the presence of the Warriors of Vale," Czamaral said. "Our people would not exist without your efforts. If there is anything we can do for you, simply ask, and it will be done."

"There's no need," Isaac said. "We're flattered that you think so highly of us, but your reputation as a wise and just King have preceded you. The honor is all ours."

"...I will be honest," Czamaral replied, "I do not quite know who should be kneeling to whom. Shall we all stand, and perhaps dispense with the formalities? It is my wish that you be comfortable within my walls, and I can tell that your little one is not used to this sort of atmosphere."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Isaac said. They all stood as one, Matthew shifting closer to his mother at the earliest opportunity.

"This is my son, Prince Volechek. As my heir, he has begun to accompany me to all of my diplomatic appointments, when appropriate. He'll make a worthy successor one day... hopefully not too soon," Czamaral joked.

Volechek blushed, and nodded modestly.

"This is Matthew," Jenna said, patting her son's shoulder. "He's as quiet as his father was, maybe even moreso. He takes after Isaac in a lot of ways, actually. I think we're all hoping that he won't have to follow in his father's footsteps for quite some time, though."

"Hopefully not," Czamaral agreed. "How old is he? He looks to be about Sveta's age, don't you agree, Volechek?"

Matthew cautiously held up eight fingers. Volechek grinned.

"Would you like to meet my sister? She is eight, too," the young beastman asked. "I am certain she would love to meet you. Shall I find her, father?"

Czamaral nodded. "Matthew would not enjoy listening to us converse, I think. We will leave the young ones to their own devices and get on with our own business. Unless, of course, you have any objections?"

Isaac and Jenna shook their heads. Volechek bowed quickly, and then hurried out of the throne room.

"I'm sure Matthew and Sveta will get along just fine," Isaac said, after the boy had gone. "And I imagine we'll be talking for quite some time. We do have a request to make, and while we do not make it lightly, I can't imagine it will be an easy one for you to grant."

"We need to retrieve one of the feathers of the Mountain Roc," Jenna explained. "I apologize in advance if that will cause any trouble, as we realize that the Roc is very important to your culture. But the feather is essential in our plans to monitor Mt Aleph. If a third Mourning Moon occurs, we need to make an effort to deal with it, and the Roc Feather is key."

Czamaral nodded grimly. "I understand. As I said, we will do our best to grant any requests you make. The feather will not come easily, but I appreciate you coming to me first so that we can form a plan to retrieve it without harming the Roc itself. If you require more than a single day, I would be more than happy to provide sleeping quarters within the castle."

"Thank you very much, Your Majesty," Jenna said with a bright smile.

It was then that Volechek returned, holding the hand of a young, lavender-haired girl with twin braids and a somewhat curious expression on her lightly furred face. Her ears twitched when she saw the Warriors and their son, and continued to twitch once every few seconds as if some excitement was leaking out slowly through her refined, young-ladylike exterior.

"Matthew, this is my daughter Svetlana, Sveta for short," Czamaral said. "Sveta, this is Matthew, the son of Isaac and Jenna of Vale."

Sveta gave a gentle smile and waved.

Matthew waved back.

"You may go anywhere you wish in the castle, but please do not leave the building. We will find you when we are finished our meeting."

"Thank you, father," Sveta said. "Shall we?"

Matthew looked at his mother for confirmation. She nodded to him, and he hurried off to play with his new friend.

"Have fun!" Isaac called.

Jenna turned back to the king as Volechek walked to rejoin the discussion. "I'm sorry that we had to bring Matthew along," she said. "We would have left him with somebody for the trip, but no one was available..."

"Nonsense! I am glad he came with you," Czamaral acclaimed. "Sveta has been incredibly bored, and I have not been able to spare time to entertain her. I wish I could let her out of the castle to play with the city children, but it is simply not safe. She leads a lonely life, I am sorry to say, and it will most likely remain that way for quite some time. She appreciates this more than she lets on."

"I hope they have fun, then," Isaac said. "Now, about the feather..."

* * *

><p>"Would you like to play a game?" Sveta asked.<p>

Matthew shuffled his feet shyly, but nodded.

"Do you have a game that you prefer to play? You could teach me that," she offered.

Matthew stared at the floor and shrugged.

"What about Tag?" Sveta asked. "Do you know how to play Tag? I love Tag. The castle is nice and big, wonderful for Tag."

Matthew nodded.

"...You do not speak very much, do you?" Sveta asked.

Matthew shook his head.

The beastgirl smiled. "Well, in that case..."

She smacked him on the shoulder.

"You are it! Come chase me!"

And she tore off down the hallway.

Matthew bolted after her, but she was quick, and she knew the area better than he did. Matthew had never been inside of a building much bigger than his own house, either. The massive stone walls and long passageways confused and disoriented him.

Sometimes he would see her turn a corner, only to see it open up in several directions as he followed. He would pause, listen for the sound of her laughter or her footpads, and then give chase. But he began to get tired fairly quickly.

Before long, he couldn't hear Sveta anymore, and he was in a section of the castle that he didn't recognize. It was a four-way crossroads, and each path looked exactly the same. In fact, as he looked around, he realized that he couldn't remember the way he had come from. He was on his own.

He had never been lost before. He had never even been alone. The gaping emptiness all around him terrified him, and he just wanted to break down and cry. He wanted his mom or his dad. He wanted someone to help him.

He whimpered uncertainly, looking down each hallway, praying that someone, anyone, would arrive for him to ask for directions. But no one came.

He sat against the wall quietly. He hoped that Sveta would come looking for him. But after what felt like an immensely long time (truthfully only a few minutes), he gave up, and decided to do the thing that terrified him more than almost anything else:

He decided to cry out for help.

"Umm..." he began. "Sv... Sveta..."

His quiet voice echoed helplessly down the corridors, not that anyone would have been able to hear from more than a few feet away anyway.

"Sveta?" he called out more loudly. "P-please... I'm lost..."

The silence that filled the air when he finished speaking seemed to muffle him. It felt like the silence itself was speaking over him. He didn't want to cry out because it felt like it would make someone mad, or hurt somebody's feelings, like interrupting someone.

So when he spoke, he spoke quietly, as if to give the silence the chance to speak first.

It didn't work.

Finally, he gathered up his courage. If he didn't get anyone's attention, he might never find his way out. The game didn't even matter to him anymore, but he realized that if Sveta heard him, she might think it was a trick. So he chose his words carefully.

"YOU WIN!" he shouted, as loudly as his underused voicebox would allow.

He waited.

And waited.

"...Matthew?" he heard in the distance. "Was that you?"

He hurried in the direction he heard Sveta's voice come from, and repeated his call. "You win! I..." He let his voice fall back to its regular level. "I'm lost..."

"You are what? Lost?" Sveta asked, finally visible as she ran down the corridor, swinging her arms from side to side. "Oh, Matthew, I am so sorry! I did not realize... You do not know your way around, do you?"

Matthew shook his head.

"And I tricked you into being 'it', without making sure you would ever be able to win... Oh, I am so terrible!" Sveta cried. "I was naughty, Matthew, I apologize... Please forgive me..."

She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"I have never had a friend before," she said. "I do not know how to treat people properly. Please forgive me."

Matthew nodded, squirming lightly in her grip. But he could tell that she meant every word. He hugged her back, much more gently, and she got the idea, loosening up a little to allow him breathing room.

"That is the first time I have heard you speak," she said. "Why do you not talk?"

He shrugged.

"Is it because you are shy?" she asked.

He shrugged, and then nodded.

"You do not need to be shy around me," young Sveta said. "I... I wish to be your friend. I would be happy if you would speak your mind more often. I wish to learn more about you."

Matthew nodded.

"I am sorry for leaving you behind!" Sveta repeated. "Would you like me to show you around? I can try to teach you how to find your way..."

Matthew nodded again.

"Alright, but you have to do one thing for me first," she said. "You have to use your manners. I am polite to you, so you must be polite to me. Is that okay?"

Matthew hesitated.

Sveta folded her hands behind her back, smiled, and watched him expectantly.

"...Please show me around..." Matthew mumbled.

"I am sorry, but I did not quite hear that!" Sveta said.

"Please!" Matthew repeated. "Thank you!"

"Much better," Sveta said. "You have a good voice, Matthew. There is no reason for you to hold it back as you do."

* * *

><p>The pair spent the next several hours having the time of their lives. They explored every inch of the castle. When Sveta was sure that Matthew would be able to find his way around, they played Hide-and-Seek. Matthew was good at hiding because he was good at keeping quiet, but Sveta was good at seeking because she could track him by scent.<p>

She didn't mention this until about 6 games in.

When they finished with Hide-and-Seek, they moved onto another game. And then another. And then another. They played together until the sun had set, and the only light came from the torches, candles, and lanterns placed at regular intervals around the castle. When they noticed it was nighttime, they began to tell ghost stories.

When their parents finally found them, they had both fallen asleep in Sveta's room. There were toys and games scattered everywhere, but there was a small, tidy circle against one wall, and there they both sat, utterly unconscious, leaning on each other for support.

Isaac and Jenna shared an amused glance, and Czamaral was visibly trying very hard not to laugh. They quietly picked up their respective children; Czamaral tucked his daughter into bed, and Isaac carried Matthew to the guest room they would be staying in. The adults were quite pleased that Matthew and Sveta had become such fast friends, but it was a shame that it couldn't last.

Isaac and Jenna would be leaving for Kolima the next morning, and they had no plan to stop at Belinsk on the way back.

Both Matthew and Sveta protested the decision, begging – in their own ways – for their parents to reconsider, or at least arrange another get-together at some point in the future. But Kalay was a great distance from Belinsk, and travel between the two cities was often treacherous. With their duties to the people of Weyard, Isaac and Jenna would never be able to set time aside for a weeklong trip just so Matthew could visit his new friend. Likewise, Czamaral could not leave Belinsk, and he would not risk sending his daughter out, even with an honor guard, so that she could cross the continent for playtime.

After the previous day's exploits, the children nearly cried when it was time to leave. They hugged goodbye, and went back to their respective parents, wholly expecting never to see each other again. But Isaac took Czamaral aside for a minute or two with an idea he had come up with. Each parent wanted to see their child happy, but if a compromise was the best that they could do, then that was what would happen.

* * *

><p>To His Majesty, King Czamaral I of Morgal,<p>

Enclosed is Matthew's first letter to your daughter. He is still learning to write, but he asked Jenna and I to help him spell some words he wasn't sure of. He'll get better in due time. He has not yet mastered reading either, but we will be more than happy to read Sveta's response to him until he can do it on his own. The letter will probably take a few days to reach you. It's up to the kids for the most part, but I think they might be able to pull off at least a letter per week if they try their best. I wish they could be meeting in person, but this is better than nothing.

We'll keep both ears open for a chance to return to Belinsk. Thank you again for your great generosity and assistance in retrieving the Roc's Feather, and thank you for giving Matthew the opportunity to meet with your daughter. With any luck, we will be able to meet again in person before long.

Until then, we wish you the best.

Isaac and Jenna of Vale

_hi SvETa_

_i m maTThEw wE pLayED togEThEr aT YouR caSTLE_

_i haD LoTS oF Fun Thank You_

_i wanT To pLaY aGain _

_bYE_

_FRom maTThEw_

/

To Isaac and Jenna of Vale,

We greatly enjoyed your company and are very pleased that you were able to visit. We appreciate, as well, your efforts in ensuring that our Mountain Roc made it through the ordeal unscathed; your exploits match your reputations, and you truly went above and beyond what was necessary to accomplish your goal for no reason other than the humble request of our people. Thank you.

Sveta was very excited to hear from Matthew. She has taken to her studies with great enthusiasm in an attempt to learn to write on her own; her dedication is rather impressive, if I say so myself. As with your son's letter, I helped Sveta to spell some of the words, but for the most part, she wrote this herself. I could not be more proud of her.

Thank you again for visiting, and thank you for bringing Matthew. I have not seen my daughter this happy in quite some time. You have given me a great gift, and if there is anything you require from me or from my kingdom in the future, you need nought but ask. I owe you a great debt.

Until next time,

Czamaral I of Morgal

_Matthew thank you so much for writing to me it made me very very very happy! I miss playing with you it was fun and I am not allowed to meet people to play with very often so I hope you can come back sometime please come back please or maybe I can go to Kalay and we can play there I wish to meet your friends too_

_Princess Sveta_

* * *

><p><em>Dear Sveta<em>

_Yesterday me and my friends went fishing, it was fun. I caught a fish and it was very big. Tyrell fell in the lake and we all laughed except for him. Then he caught a fish too and he laughed as well._

_I asked my dad if we can go to Belinsk soon and he said no. He said that a lot of people in Morgal are getting very very sick. He said that your dad is one of the people who is sick. I hope he gets better and I hope you don't get sick._

_From Matthew_

/

_Dear Matthew_

_Your dad is right. There is a sickness called a playg? (I do not know how to spell it, I apologize) The sickness is going all over the place and a lot of people are getting it. My dad went to sleep two days ago and has not woken up so they put him in a special bed underground. Volechek cried a lot and he told me that dad might not ever wake up. That made me cry too._

_Please do not come to Morgal until the playg is over because if you went to sleep forever it would make me cry as well. You are my best friend._

_If I am not your best friend I am okay with that because your friends sound like a lot of fun but I want you to know that you are my best friend either way, thank you for writing me letters and please keep writing them._

_I am not sick but I promise to tell you if I feel very tired._

_From Sveta_

_/_

_Dear Sveta_

_I told my dad about what happened to the king (your dad) and he got very quiet. He wanted me to tell you that if you need anything then we are here for you. He wanted me to tell you to tell Volechek that the Warriors of Vale support him as King and that they believe he will be more than capable of ruling the nation._

_I'm glad I am your best friend, Tyrell told me yesterday that I am not his best friend but Karis is his best friend, and that made me sad until I realized that I have you for a friend and he doesn't. I think you are my best friend too._

_Dad wants me to tell you that it is okay to sleep because you will probably wake up but if you feel sick then you should tell a doctor right away._

_From your best friend Matthew_

_/_

_Thank you Matthew for telling me I am your best friend too, it made me very happy but also sad that we cannot play together. I do not need anything but please thank Isaac for his offer. A lot of people have been giving me things since dad was gone but I just want my dad back. I hear people saying that it is a tragedy for a 9-year-old to lose her father like that and I agree but I think the plague (I looked up how you spell it) made a lot of little girls lose their dads. I do not like plagues._

_Volechek is the king now so that means he can give me a lot of the things that I want anyway but I do not ask him because it is rude. Also he says thank you to Isaac and he said he would do his best to make everyone proud. He told me to tell you that he did not go to his room and cry right after I told him that._

_I hope to see you after the plague is over. I hope the plague does not spread into Kalay because I do not want you to die. Please do not die Matthew._

_From your best friend Princess Sveta_

* * *

><p><em>Dear Sveta,<em>

_Happy 13th birthday! I made you a present. I didn't know what to get you because you're a princess and all, but I put a lot of effort into it. I hope you like it. The jacket you sent me for my 13th birthday was fantastic, even though it was a little big, and I feel bad that I couldn't get you something as nice as that, but I did my best, and I don't think you can buy what I made in stores._

_It feels weird to think that I haven't actually seen you in 5 years. I have no idea what you look like now. It seems unlikely that we'll meet again anytime soon, to play or otherwise, but who knows? Maybe something will come up. _

_My Dad and I are moving up to Goma Plateau with Garet and Tyrell in a few days. I wish we didn't have to leave Kalay, and I'll miss Mom, but it's more important that someone keeps an eye on Mt Aleph and I'll be going back down every few weeks or so to visit anyway. It'll be hard on all of us but it's for the best._

_How are things for you in Belinsk? _

_Yours truly,_

_Matthew_

_/_

_Dearest Matthew,_

_The bracelet you made me is beautiful! Thank you so much. It is my favorite birthday present, which really says something considering some of the gifts I got. I have a lot of nice new clothes and some other expensive trinkets, but your bracelet means more to me than any of them. I will wear it every day. Thank you very much._

_I still remember what you looked like when you were eight, but I doubt you look quite the same now. I know I look quite different in many ways. I would send you a picture, but it would feel silly to pose for a painting just to send to you, and I have no idea whether it would survive transportation. Plus, I do not know what you would do with the picture afterward. If you are moving to a new house, will you still have your own room? If you had a painting of me hanging on the wall of the room you and Tyrell share, I imagine it could be rather awkward._

_Not that I imagine you would ever hang my likeness on the wall of your room. That would be silly! If I had a picture of you I would keep it somewhere visible but quite frankly, I do not have as many friends as you do._

_...On that note, I would humbly request one further birthday gift from you. It is not a physical object, but it would be worth more to me than anything else in the world. _

_What I request is your confidence. Please do not share these letters with anyone._

_As I grow older I must learn more and more about politics and diplomacy and how to be a proper lady, and it truly grates on me. The life of a noblewoman is not an exciting one. I miss the days where adventure felt like a possibility and not just a fever-dream. I miss the honesty. Everything feels like a lie these days, or a twisted truth._

_If you promise never ever to let anyone read these but yourself, then I will be able to speak my mind to you. I trust you completely, and I know you would not use the things I say against me in the future. But I have some choice things to say about many people and I am getting to the age where saying the wrong thing could start a war._

_In return I will keep your confidence too, naturally. Though the consequences may not be as severe, I understand that everyone has secrets they wish to keep, and I swear on my life that I will never tell anyone a secret that you give to me in one of these letters. We can be open with each other without worrying about anyone else knowing._

_What do you think? Please reply soon._

_From,_

_Sveta_

* * *

><p><em>Oh boy, what a week.<em>

_I just got back from Kalay. It's fun visiting, but I always feel exhausted when I come back. Karis always wants to do everything with Tyrell (not that he notices, the oaf), and since we live together I always come along for the ride. Don't get me wrong, Karis is a blast, but I just don't understand her sometimes!_

_She told me she had a crush on Tyrell. I pretended that it was a big surprise because I knew she'd want it to be exciting news, but it's been pretty obvious for a while. So to help her out, I arranged things so that a few nights later, we'd all play Spin the Bottle – her, me, Tyrell, and a few other girls and guys that Karis knows._

_Now, I couldn't rig the bottle so it would land on one and then the other. I don't really know how to do that. I could have cheated too, and used psynergy on the ground or something, but they'd both notice. So we just played, and I hoped that they'd get the chance, and maybe Karis would be able to turn that into a bigger opportunity for herself. Tyrell's always making fun of me for being so obsessive about our letters, even though I told him we're just (best) friends. It'd be great to have some dirt on him._

_Anyway, the game went on. The bottle landed on me a few times, which was a nice perk. Makeouts are always fun. I wonder what it would be like to kiss a beastgirl? Would the fur make it feel kind of scratchy? Just a hypothetical. I mean, if you were here I might ask more directly (in a friendly way!), but y'know._

_But yes. At the end, it's Tyrell's turn. He kinda gives Karis a look (she's sitting next to me at the time), and he gives the bottle the craziest spin I've ever seen. It must've gone around a hundred times or something. Then it finally starts slowing down, and it gets slower and slower, and everybody's watching intensely, and it looks like it's gonna land on Karis..._

_And then it hits a rock and stops on me._

_Then Tyrell sticks out his foot, nudges it a little, and it points to Karis. Everybody laughs except her, and she just blushes like crazy, and I think she's gonna do it, and then she just freakin' DECKS him! Like, I'm pretty sure they'd have heard it a town over or something, she hit him so hard. And then she stands up and just storms out of there._

_I tried to ask her about it but she wouldn't say. Tyrell's jaw was actually broken, but luckily Kalay's got a couple of good Mercury Adepts._

_I don't get girls, Sveta. I really don't._

_Your confused friend,_

_Matthew_

_/_

_Oh, Matthew, do not be silly! You get THIS girl. You get me perfectly, and I do not believe anyone else does. _

_Can friends, even best friends, just kiss? Is that allowed? My knowledge of relationship dynamics is sadly rather lacking. I would love to help you answer your question in a platonic fashion. Perhaps you could come to Belinsk and we could play Spin the Bottle, just us? In fact, we should have played that 7 years ago when you came over. Pity I did not know about it at the time, but I suspect our parents would have been less-than-enthused._

_I have a few suspicions as to why Karis reacted as she did. Perhaps she thought that you told Tyrell of her crush? She might have been upset that he ruined the game of cat-and-mouse that she so enjoyed. Part of the fun of having a crush is giving hints to the one you have your eye on._

_She may also have been upset at Tyrell cheating. Maybe she was already sad that the bottle did not land on her naturally, and the way he tried to steal a kiss just set her off. Karis sounds like a temperamental girl sometimes, and I would not put it past her. I should not judge without meeting her, but I doubt I ever will._

_The third option is that she simply wanted to see you two kiss and I would not put that past her either. I do not know if males feel the same way about females, but I saw two handsome male servants locking lips when they thought no one was watching, and oh my goodness did it ever give me shivers._

_Speaking of which, my brother has promoted one of Belinsk's soldiers to the royal guard. The man's name is Justin, and he is jaw-droppingly handsome. I have spent time trying to hint to Volechek that I would like him assigned to my personal retinue, but I think he suspects my intentions. I told him that I simply wish to examine the new recruit for myself, and he said – and I quote - "Yes, I bet you do."_

_Then he gave me a long lecture on how important it is for a princess to maintain her virginity. Something about purity in the eyes of the people, and loyalty to your husband... something along those lines. In my opinion, treating my virginity as a commodity is absurd, not that I will ever be able to do anything about it with His Majesty sending away any male that so much as glances in my direction. He will not let me have friends, and he will not let me have a love life! He is so unfair._

_He supported my request for martial arts lessons, however, and apparently did not know that the martial arts instructor is also utterly rugged. _

_I am glad for you that you get to have fun with such games as Spin the Bottle, though I am jealous, as the very most I can apparently accomplish is to put myself in a position where I can maybe put someone in a chokehold._

_Green with envy,_

_Sveta_

_/_

_Dear Sveta,_

_I would love to comment on the rest of your letter, but the part that sticks out most to me is the bit about seeing two girls kissing. I have not been graced with that vision ever in my lifetime. Can you get a picture painted of you kissing a girl? It would be a fantastic gift for my 16th birthday, and it would help ward off Tyrell's taunts if I could say, "Yeah, see that? She's not my girlfriend, because she doesn't kiss guys!" It would be a picture any man would be proud to hang in his room._

_Good luck with the martial arts lessons. No hitting below the belt._

_Best wishes,_

_Matthew_

_/_

_Martial arts instructor got fired for breaking my arm by accident. Volechek is far too harsh. Must keep letter short as I am writing with left hand. Woe is me._

_You have my word that I will send you a portrait of myself kissing a girl of your choosing if you can send me a portrait of you kissing Tyrell. Or, failing that, if you can make your way to Belinsk and kiss Justin of the Royal Guard while I watch._

_I wish you luck._

_-Sveta_

* * *

><p><em>Matthew, please forgive me if my tone is harsh. I am furious right now.<em>

_We had an emissary from Madra arrive today. He brought his 18-year-old son with him, apparently hoping to meet me. Apparently Madra considers fat to be attractive, because both of them thought they were the Gods' gifts to women. The boy was particularly grabby. He had the gall to tell me that "muscles are unbecoming of a wife" after I nearly broke his wrist in retaliation._

_Now, at first I thought he was simply being a bigot, but apparently his father had promised him my hand in marriage! He did this with no prompting whatsoever, I assure you. Volechek shut him down immediately when the issue was raised. I daresay our relations with Madra may in fact have been damaged by the severity of my brother's rebuke, but we both feel it was worth it. Pigs, the both of them._

_But the incident apparently set my brother on that route of thought regardless. He told me the next day that at 17, I was old enough to be married off, and as a princess, I should be prepared for the possibility of an arranged marriage, particularly because Belinsk is not in a very good diplomatic position at the moment. We are beset on all sides by nations that do not wish us well, and we are in great need of allies. Many royal families are full of buffoons – a fact that you are most likely familiar with, from my many tales of royal buffoonery – and it appears that all it takes to win them over is to give them a royal daughter to do what they wish with. Fancy that! If only the daughter was not me._

_Volechek was quick to assure me that he was on my side, but that did not stop him from calling forth suitors from all corners of Weyard in an attempt to use me as a bribe._

_Most of the men were absolutely wretched. The envoy from Contigo kept attempting to woo me by mentioning that he knew Sheba, the Warrior of Vale, on a first-name basis. How droll, I wished to say, I have been exchanging letters with the son of TWO Warriors of Vale for approximately nine years now. But I could not, because that would be unladylike._

_At least not all of them were terrible. The prince of Ayuthay was rather polite, if a bit on the pudgy side. Between us, we vehemently disagreed with the concept of arranged marriage, and we agreed to a vow of infidelity if the worst should happen. It does not appear that he will be my husband at this point, but at least I have a fallback plan, or at least a direction to push in, if things go south._

_It feels so ironic that I must end this letter by expressing my hopes that the next time I write, I will still be single. It seems to laugh in the face of everything I have done up to this point. But what I fear, more than anything, is that I will end up married to a jealous man who sees our letters as a threat to his dominion over me. If that tenuous thread of my sanity is cut, I know not what I will do._

_I hope that your life is going better than mine is, not that that is a difficult feat at this point._

_Please never stop being you._

_From,_

_Princess Sveta of Morgal_

_/_

_Oh wow, Sveta. I don't know what to say. That sounds horrible. Volechek is a good guy! I don't know how he could possibly do that to you, especially considering how defensive he's been of you all along. I have half a mind to march down to Belinsk this instant and give him a piece of my mind._

_I mean, I can't, sadly. Training with Dad and Garet has gotten intense lately. My dad figures that since I've reached the age he was when he and Mom lit the lighthouses, I should be ready for anything, and that means that I need to be able to accomplish godlike tasks. It sure is great having legendary heroes as parents! Really, princess, you have no idea what you're missing._

_I hope somebody comes along that you wouldn't hate to be with. I can't imagine getting married at my age, but I know that if I had to then I'd just want somebody that I could tolerate. Even if you don't really love them that much, it might be the kind of thing that can grow, right?_

_The good news is that since Dad's starting to see world-changing adventures around every corner, I might be able to convince him to let me venture out into the world on my own soon. If you do have to stop writing letters, please do your best to tell me where you've ended up, at least. I'll do my best to head straight there. Nine years is far too long for two best friends to be kept apart, and if I can help keep you sane in the face of a horrible husband, all the better._

_Keep me updated, alright? I love being penpals as much as you do, hard as that may be to believe._

_-Matthew_

_/_

_Sveta? Are you alright? I hope nothing's happened._

_I mean, maybe it's a little too soon to be worrying. It hasn't been that long. I guess when you exchange letters with a person every week for more than half of your life, though, it's a little jarring when you don't hear from them for a month. You didn't get married, did you? Was it as you feared? Please contact me when you get this message. Just find a way, however you can. I'll keep writing to you in the meantime._

_Ivan's finally made a working model of the Soarwing, by the way. It was the reason we met, remember? They finally took the Roc's Feather and made it work. They're testing it out. Here's hoping for good news._

_Be safe._

_Sincerely,_

_Matthew_

_/_

_Dear Sveta,_

_It's hard to get news of foreign politics up here, but I did what I could. I heard that you aren't dead, but I can't get any more information than that. Did you marry someone? Did Volechek tell you to stop contacting me? Has someone started raiding the mail? Because that would be the worst luck. I'm really worried about you._

_The Soarwing works, by the way. Karis is coming up in a week to show us how to use it. The sooner the better, my Dad says. If the Mourning Moons' pattern holds up, this is the year that the third Moon will show up. We need to be able to reach Mt Aleph when that happens._

_Write to me, okay?_

_-Matthew_

_/_

_Tyrell broke the Soarwing._

_I don't have much time to write this. This is the last letter I'll be able to send to you for quite some time. But I'm heading out from Goma Plateau with Tyrell and Karis. We need another Roc's Feather, and you know what that means._

_Dad will send this to Belinsk. He's also sending word to Kraden, telling him to meet us in Bilibin along the way. I hope he doesn't mix the two up, because that'd be really awkward. If he did, then hey, Kraden! Stop reading this letter! This is for Sveta, not you. See you in Bilibin._

_...I hope you're reading this, Sveta._

_You won't be hearing from me for a little while, but when we reach Belinsk, I'll be going straight to the castle for an audience with your brother. If you're there, I'll meet you. If you aren't, I'll find out where you went and follow you. You'll have to forgive me for being a little intense about this. When the last I hear from you is that you might be forced into an abusive relationship against your will, and that you might never speak to me again, and then I don't hear from you for two months, what conclusion am I supposed to come to? _

_I'll see you soon, Sveta, one way or another. Hopefully I'm wrong about all this._

_Your best friend forever,_

_Matthew_

* * *

><p>"Did you see that?"<p>

Tyrell glanced in the direction Matthew was pointing.

"What, the cliff?" the Mars Adept asked. "What's so special about the cliff?"

"No, I saw something move! Something humanoid!" Matthew protested. "I think we're being followed. Watch your back, everyone."

Te Rya village was cold, to be sure, but the temperature was just one cause of the shivers Matthew had been feeling for the past few hours. He had been seeing movement just at the edge of his vision for a while, but every time he turned to look, there was nothing there, and no one else had seen anything.

Something wasn't right. Someone was definitely following them, and they were heading toward Teppe Ruins – a perfect spot for an ambush.

He stopped and made sure that everyone was equipped for battle. If worst came to worst, they were well-prepared, at least; everyone had the best weapons they were able to carry, the group had a very impressive complement of Djinn, and with the addition of Prince Amiti, they had two healers with them.

But vigilance was everything, and Matthew intended to make it to Belinsk alive.

They approached the entrance to Teppe Ruins with caution. Matthew and Amiti took the lead, with Karis and Tyrell taking the rearguard. Rief was in the middle, as he was the most capable healer. He needed to be able to respond in any direction, and he needed to be defended in case of an emergency.

Other than the occasional monster, though, the Ruins seemed surprisingly empty. He keep both eyes open, but Matthew didn't see the mysterious figure again for quite some time. If he had been wrong, great; they needed to pass through the Ruins to reach Belinsk anyway, and if they could make it without an ambush, then that would be perfect. But he didn't get his hopes up.

His efforts were rewarded when, near the deepest part of the cave, he spotted a pair of eyes staring at his group from the darkness.

"There!" he shouted. The shape dashed away, and Matthew and his friends gave chase.

The form led them further and further into the ruins, deeper and deeper down. It led them around corners and through twisting passageways. It didn't take long before Matthew had completely lost track of where he had gone.

He watched the figure drop down a hole, and then signalled everyone to follow after. He went first, hurrying down the only obvious route, and when the others came behind him, he led them through a single doorway, not even wide enough for two people to pass through side-by-side.

Beyond the doorway was a wide chamber, full of bizarre multi-armed statues surrounding a single stone statue of a face. There were no exits but the one they had come in through.

They were trapped.

Matthew cursed. "If we're gonna get ambushed, this is where it'll happen, guys. Sorry for leading you down here."

"It's alright!" Tyrell said. "I'd have done the same."

Karis slapped him on the back of the head. "Way to make him feel worse, you oaf!"

The group backed into the chamber, battle-ready, and waited for their opponents to show themselves.

The tension was palpable.

Matthew felt a bead of sweat drip down his face as he held his sword at the ready.

He heard nothing but echoes. The silence seemed to tear at him.

"Alright, fine! You've trapped us!" he called out. "You win!"

His words hung heavily in the air.

A humanoid shape stepped through the entryway, still shrouded in shadow.

"You are surprised that I am behind you after you chased and cornered me?" a female voice called.

"What's it to you?" Matthew shot back.

The figure shook its head. "You are angry with me for surprising you. I must apologize."

Rief looked at his friends. He shrugged his shoulders. "Was our mysterious 'shadowy figure' just this young girl?" he asked rhetorically.

"She must have something going for her," Tyrell said. "She wanders through here by herself!"

"The people of Morgal have a refined intuition. We sense and avoid danger easily," the girl said. "My senses may be more attuned than yours, but..."

She paused.

She sniffed at the air.

"Wait..." she said. "_Matthew?_"

Stepping into the light, the figure was much more clearly visible. Her lavender hair was tied in two long braids that fell almost to her feet, and her athletic form was lightly furred beneath her simple travelling outfit.

"It is you, is it not?" she asked. "I cannot believe it! After all these years..."

Matthew's expression slowly grew into a smile. He lowered his sword.

"Sveta?" he called. "Is that you?"

The girl nodded. "Best friend."

They ran toward each other and hugged tightly. Matthew felt the wind get knocked out of him as Sveta squeezed him, but when he patted her on the back as a signal, she loosened her grip.

"I apologize for not recognizing you earlier!" she cried. "What a terrible friend I am."

"I'm just glad to see you're safe," Matthew said.

Sveta nodded. "That I am. Mmm... you smell like your letters."

"You, uh..."

Matthew backed away and gave Sveta a quick glance all over. He blushed slightly.

"You've grown up," he said.

She smiled shyly. "As have you."

Then she frowned suddenly.

"...My brother did not send you, did he?" she asked.

Matthew raised an eyebrow, to her obvious relief. "Of course not. Why would Volechek ask me to come here?"

Rief cleared his throat.

"Oh! Right!" Matthew shouted. "Where are my manners... Umm, everybody, this is Sveta, princess of Morgal. We've been pen pals for a good nine years now. Sveta, this is Tyrell, Rief, Karis, and-"

"Amiti," Sveta interrupted with a polite smile. "You are looking well. You have lost weight."

Amiti bowed slightly. "Princess. So Matthew was the one you spent all of your time writing to?"

Sveta shrugged.

"I just... I was hoping to give this bag I found to the first well-meaning group of people I encountered," she said, "but this is far better than I expected. I believe it belongs to someone in Te Rya village, so it would be best to return it as soon as possible. But oh, this is fantastic! Tyrell and Karis, I have heard so much about you. Rief..." Sveta paused. "Rief, I am not sure I know you. But I am glad to meet you anyway!"

Karis looked at Matthew, still blushing lightly, and grinned. "I think you two have some catching up to do," she said. "How about the rest of us take your bag back to the village and meet you here when we're done?"

"Fantastic!" Sveta said joyfully. "Those vines on the wall lead to a hole in the roof. You may use them as a shortcut. Hurry back, I would love to get to know all of you better. This is so exciting!"

As the others filtered out through the ceiling, Matthew found himself staring at Sveta again. He dimly remembered the eight-year-old girl he had met, but he had built up an image in his mind that was very different from the vision of beauty before him. She was well-read and spoke intelligently, which made him think of a female version of Rief, and her tales of a life without romance made him think that she had some particularly unattractive features. But she was every bit the gorgeous princess of fairy tales, aside from the clothes that she wore and her toned muscles.

"O-Oh!" she said suddenly, startling him. "I apologize for staring. I just... it has been some time."

He hadn't even noticed that she had been staring back at him the entire time, but he took it in stride.

"It has," he agreed. "What's been going on? I haven't heard from you in ages. Were you married off?"

Sveta shook her head and rolled her eyes. "The endless stream of suitors bored me to tears. I ran away to be alone for a short while. From the sound of it, Volechek has been covering for me. He spreads word of a contagious, but not-life-threatening illness that I have been struck by. I will thank him if and when I return."

"...'If'?"

Sveta motioned for Matthew to follow, and they sat down on a rocky outcropping in the middle of the room.

"I do not wish to be married," she said. "And if I return, then I will not be able to avoid the issue forever. I will marry a man I have never met, and whom I could never feel attraction for. I will be traded, as if I was a commodity or a resource, so that Morgal can have some political standing."

"It might not be that bad," Matthew consoled. "You might meet someone special. Who knows? You could just be waiting for the right suitor."

Sveta paused.

"...Volechek has made a decision," she said, "or nearly so. He has someone in mind that he wishes to be my husband. He has begun the process of arranging my marriage already."

"Oh... so you know that the person is terrible, do you? Sveta... I'm so, so sorry to hear-"

"No!" she said suddenly. "No, no. The man is... he is rather attractive, actually. I just..."

Matthew put a hand on her shoulder for comfort.

"I do not know if he wants me," Sveta said. "The arranged marriage works both ways. Neither of us want to be married, and I worry that... that when we are together, we will begin to hate each other. And he seems so kind, and I wish that we could get to know each other first..."

"Well, things could be way worse!" Matthew said. "If you like the guy at least, then that's a start. I mean... ugh."

He threw his hands in the air helplessly and let himself fall back.

"Give me a minute, I need to think about this," he said. "It's easy to give advice when I'm writing because I can just stop to reconsider, and... when you're right _here,_ y'know, I can't just tell you to forget what I just said. It's weird actually having you physically next to me."

Sveta blushed and smiled softly. "I know exactly what you mean," she said. She fell back as well, so they were both staring at the ceiling.

They waited like this for a full minute before Matthew spoke again. "Does the confidentiality thing still stand, if it's just us talking? Even if we aren't writing?"

Sveta nodded, and he continued.

"Because... well, I mean, I'll be honest. You're incredibly attractive. Knowing that you have the looks to match your brains and personality, I just... it's hard to think of you as the same person. And I don't mean that in a bad way, I just... argh, sorry. I screwed up. Let me try that again."

Sveta giggled. "No, I understand. You aren't the shy, sheltered boy you once were either. You've become a strong and competent leader, even just amongst your friends. I am flattered that you think me attractive, however. For what it is worth, do you remember that Royal Guardsman, Justin? He did not have anything on you. You look fantastic."

"Ah... thanks," Matthew said awkwardly.

They both stared at the rocky ceiling, waiting for the other person to speak.

Then they each spoke at the same time.

"I just-"

"You didn't-"

"No, sorry, you can-"

"You spoke first, you go ahead-"

Silence once more.

"...Do you want to get out of marrying some noble you don't know?" Matthew asked.

"Of course," Sveta answered. "Absolutely."

"Okay, well... this is, uh... feel free to turn this down," Matthew stammered. "It's just an idea, and it's not all that great of one, but-"

"But what?"

"Well, I remember the welcome your dad gave us, when he was still alive," Matthew said. "I mean... technically, I'm sort of nobility to you guys, right?"

Sveta hesitated.

"...Right..." she said, urging him to continue.

"Yeah, and... you know me," Matthew said. "So you know that I'm a pretty good guy, and I want what's best for you."

"...And?"

"Just... WE could get married," Matthew said, blushing profusely. "Couldn't we? I mean, as a favor to you-"

"You'd get married as a _favor?_" Sveta blurted. "I-I mean, you... that is a big, big favor!"

"Better than being married as a bribe!" Matthew retorted. "Kalay's even in a position of power, unless I'm mistaken. Belinsk improves its ties with the people on the opposite side of Bilibin. That's a great political move, isn't it?"

"Yes, but-"

"But what?"

"You are my best friend!" Sveta said. "That... that would be..."

"That would be you marrying someone you can trust!" Matthew said. "We don't have to be in love or anything, it's just to protect you from having to marry someone you'll hate forever! We still get to be best friends, and we even get to see each other every day! It works out perfectly!"

"Matthew, you do realize we would be expected to produce an heir together?" Sveta cried.

"Looking at you right now, that's starting to seem like a bit of a perk!" Matthew said. "I... I mean... damn. I shouldn't have said that."

Sveta sat up on the rocks. She put her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands.

"...I do not wish to be forced into this..." she said.

"I'm sorry, Sveta, you're right," Matthew said. "I shouldn't have said any-"

"...But I will think about it."

Matthew jerked bolt-upright.

"Huh?"

Sveta rubbed her eyes. "Well... I appreciate the gesture. And I appreciate that you brought it up yourself. It is heartwarming, it truly is. Because the fact is..."

She giggled softly as she brought herself to her feet.

"The man Volechek had in mind for me to marry," she continued, "was a young nobleman from Kalay that I was already rather familiar with."

"Wait," Matthew said, following her to her feet. "Your brother wanted us to get hitched?"

Sveta nodded. "I stopped sending you letters because it suddenly became impossible to write without thinking about it. I thought that if I told you, you would either be so surprised that you would cease communication, or begin thinking of it in terms of the benefits to you and your family. Volechek did not send the official request to arrange a marriage while I was at the castle, but I would not be surprised if he chose to send it once I ran away."

"...So you thought I was here as another suitor," Matthew said, filling in the blanks. "You didn't want to discuss it because you didn't want this to become about marriage."

Sveta nodded sadly.

"Sorry, then," Matthew said. "I was just trying to help."

He glanced at the hole in the ceiling that the others had gone through. He wondered how long it would be until they returned, and they could pretend this entire conversation had never happened.

Sveta tapped him on the shoulder.

As he turned to face her, she took his hands in hers.

"Matthew," she said seriously, "did you really suggest being married as a favor to me? Be honest."

Matthew hesitated, turning the words over in his head to make sure that they were the ones he wanted to say. There was no turning back once they were out there, no erasing and rewriting.

"...I suggested it primarily so give you a way out of a bad situation," he said slowly, "but to be honest, I think I would enjoy being your husband. It doesn't matter if we actually love each other or not. What matters is that we have the chance to be together for the first time in nine years. I'm going to jump at that chance no matter what."

"That is a good reason," Sveta said quietly. "I like that reason. But... you said it doesn't matter whether we actually love each other or not. So I ask you – and please be honest... do you love me?"

Matthew paused.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I might."

Sveta squeezed his hands as her eyes filled with joyful tears.

"...I might love you too," she said.

At a sound from above, they both jerked their heads toward the vine-covered entrance.

"The others are back," Matthew said. "We should probably discuss this later."

"Agreed," Sveta said. "But.. but wait, before they arrive..."

The voices were getting closer.

"You asked me something a long time ago," she said. "And I think I may be able to answer your question now."

She brought him close and kissed him deeply.

"...That is what it feels like," she said.

Matthew felt numb.

"It, uh..."

Tyrell's boot-clad feet appeared on the vine-covered ledge as he began to climb down.

"It wasn't scratchy," Matthew said when he gathered his wits. "That much I can say for sure."

"Are you certain?" Sveta asked. "We could try again later."

"Yeah," Matthew answered. "Later."

And the veil of confidentiality fell upon them once more.


End file.
